Miriam Meckel – The age of Artificial Intelligence
Miriam Meckel: Next reality, brainhacking and what remains of humanity.
“I’m generally optimistic about the future,” says the German journalist, publicist and professor of communication management.
Miriam Meckel is “well known” in Germany. Over 10 years ago, she spoke openly about her burnout and wrote a book about it. She did real pioneering work.
Miriam Meckel is known professionally for her work in the fields of media, journalism and digitalization. Among other things, she was editor-in-chief of WirtschaftsWoche, has published numerous books and is a sought-after expert on issues relating to digital transformation and communication.
She recently founded the start-up “ada Learning GmbH”. It aims to shape the future together and offers managers the opportunity to learn together, exchange ideas and apply the knowledge they have gained through a one-year training program. The clear mission is:
“Develop innovative solutions and lead your organization into a sustainable, digital future.”
The program is divided into three areas:
- technology & sustainability
- organizational growth & leadership
- personal growth & resilience
All of this takes place under the umbrella of community and cohesion, because “networking is the best strategy for new ideas”.
Miriam Meckel has been observing the events surrounding artificial intelligence and the consequences of technological change on the world for years. She thinks in terms of opportunities and possibilities and says of herself that she is a thoroughbred optimist. Humanity has never had as many opportunities to express itself as it does today, and there are almost no limits to creativity and, above all, the implementation of ideas.
Meckel’s view of AI is not only technological, but also human. She emphasizes the importance of ethical and responsible use of AI and calls for reflection on how we can ensure that this technology serves the good of society.
The age of AI has arrived in the middle.
Miriam Meckel experienced her “wow moment” on November 30, 2022, the day ChatGPT went online. For her, this event marked the beginning of a profound change. Everyone suddenly realized that AI had long since arrived at the heart of society. Miriam Meckel says that she believes the AI behind ChatGPT has the potential to change the world in a way that is comparable to the introduction of the printing press. The impact of this technology would reach into all areas of society, which has proven to be 100 percent true.
Miriam Meckel: “If we want to keep up in an increasingly complex world, we also need to expand our human intelligence.”
In her bestseller “Everything everywhere at once – How artificial intelligence is changing our world and what we can gain from it”, Meckel describes how an abyss is opening up before us. The future, she says, still lies in the unknown. The question remains whether we will fall into this abyss or whether we can enjoy the clear view of new horizons from above. The outcome depends on how we as a society deal with the challenges and opportunities of AI.
In a recent interview with SPIEGEL, she said: “We now have the chance to develop AI in such a way that it will help us reach a new level of civilization. We can become more productive. We can spread knowledge globally. All of this is possible if we follow certain rules. If we don’t, we’ll end up in a dystopia where truth counts for nothing, where anyone can falsify anything and the only thing that matters is who gets their spin onto the market and how quickly.”
Fear of AI and doomsday scenarios? No thanks!
She can only shake her head at deep-seated fears or even scenarios about an imminent end of the world. “With respect, that’s bullshit,” she says clearly, because she believes the scaremongering is more a clever marketing ploy “by people like Elon Musk” who, in her opinion, wanted to achieve a pause in the development of language models “in order to be able to push ahead with his own as undisturbed as possible.” Meckel says in SPIEGEL.
Miriam Meckel also does not believe that AI will lead to fewer working hours. Human nature would strive for meaning and activity, people would be creative enough to create something new when the old disappears. That is why she doubts the idea circulating in Silicon Valley that a universal basic income could solve the problem. She does not believe that people are made to “chill”, rather her idea is that if everything goes well, work will be more fulfilling, not less: “Instead of dealing with tedious tasks, we could concentrate on what we really enjoy – more time to think, for example, instead of answering emails and coordinating deadlines,” she said in the SPIEGEL interview.
In her talks, Miriam Meckel speaks passionately and always scientifically about how artificial intelligence can positively change the world. She talks about disrupting reality, i.e. a reality in the age of its technical designability, about the networked world and perspectives of the global information society or about the seemingly crazy topic of “brainhacking”.
She also talks about honesty in the context of political communication and political culture in Germany, about people in the digital age or memories of a future without us and the question: What’s next?
Expertise with AI – academic and practical at the same time.
In her talks on AI and the future of work, Miriam Meckel gets the audience to think about the possibilities and limitations of the technology. She inspires people to see AI not as a threat, but as an opportunity – an opportunity to improve the world, transform the way we work and advance humanity.
Her expertise in AI is not only academic, but also practical. Miriam Meckel is co-founder of the “Lab of Tomorrow”, a think tank that focuses on the impact of AI on society and develops innovative solutions for the future.
Don’t miss this opportunity. Miriam Meckel’s wisdom and clear point of view make her a real asset to any event. “Optimistic and thoughtful together into the future” could be her slogan.